Big chill to start tonight

Many parts of the country woke to sub-zero temperatures and a fierce frost.

But if it feels cold this morning, be warned - there is far, far worse to come.

Forecasters say we should brace ourselves for the coldest spell for years as Arctic weather blows in from the north.

It will send temperatures plunging to as low as -10c (14f) in places, bringing the threat of snow for most of the country.

Gritters on roads

An army of gritters took to the roads last night. Some 700 such lorries and snow ploughs have been put on 24-hour standby.

The really freezing blast is expected to start late tonight as the icy front sweeps across Scotland and northern and eastern parts of England and Wales.

Temperatures will plummet below zero and up to four inches of snow is expected in most places.

Forecasters say it could be the most sustained period of freezing weather for at least seven years and Londoners have been told they could see snow by midweek.

Urgent preparations to cope with the freeze went on through the weekend.

The Highways Agency is desperate to avoid the chaotic scenes last January when thousands of motorists were trapped in their vehicles for up to 20 hours as the ungritted M11 ground to a halt. Its chief executive, Tim Matthews, quit four months later.

This year extra salt has been brought in and 800 information stations across the country are monitoring road conditions. A spokesman said the agency was better prepared than ever.

He said: "The key thing is not to grit too early or grit too late - that is the lesson we learned last year."

AA patrols stepped up

The AA, which has stepped up its patrols by 20 per cent, advised motorists not to make non-essential journeys once the snow arrives.

On the railways, Network Rail has 90 specialised trains ready to plough or blow snow off the lines.

Age Concern is warning the elderly not to economise on heating and to contact their local branch if they are worried about the cost.

Frozen or burst pipes and central heating breakdowns are expected to be a major problem, with British Gas predicting an extra 20,000 emergency calls.

NHS trusts have drawn up cold weather strategies. In East Anglia, where some of the worst weather is predicted, staff have been told that if they cannot get to work they should go to the nearest hospital or surgery to ensure as many facilities as possible stay open.

Supermarkets have stocked up on winter warmers and customers have been stockpiling such items as custard, casserole ingredients and hot chocolate. Tesco has ordered an extra 200,000 gallons of soup.

Thames Water yesterday urged householders to save their cooking fat and mix it with seeds, dried fruit or food scraps to feed garden birds during the freeze.

This also helps reduce the £7 million the company spends each year clearing sewer pipe blockages, around half of them caused by fat.

Spokesman Dr Peter Spillet warned that birds should not be given lighter polyunsaturated fats such as vegetable oil. Water is also crucial for them.

Arctic blast

Met Office forecaster Andy Bodenham said last night: "The main Arctic blast will be felt across the country from Tuesday.

"From then on there is a 70 per cent chance of snow for the north and east, with four inches (10cm) in some places, and a 40 per cent chance in the west and south.

"Temperatures everywhere will struggle to reach anything above zero celsius (32f) but because of the wind factor it will feel much colder. Night-time lows will be between -5c (23f) and -10c (14f)."

The Arctic weather will move away by Thursday or Friday but next weekend will still feel cold.

The cold snap follows the sunniest year on record, which gave England 1,776.7 hours of sunshine and the highest temperature ever recorded, 38.5c (101.3f) in Kent on August 10.